Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 27, 2020
Hard times: Jakarta’s e-hailing riders see sharp dip in earnings, fear infection amid COVID-19 pandemic
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JAKARTA: Mr Imam Riady misses Jakarta’s notorious traffic jams. For the motorcycle taxi driver, the city’s gridlock was a sign that it was bustling with workers looking for the fastest ride to and from work. Advertisement Advertisement But the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything. For the last two weeks, most offices in the Indonesian capital
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 27, 2020
COVID-19: Malaysia has rice stocks for 2.5 months as Vietnam curbs exports
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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has enough rice to last two and a half months, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry told Reuters on Friday (Mar 27), after Vietnam suspended exports to feed its own people amid the COVID-19 epidemic. Vietnam, the third largest rice exporter, on Wednesday said it would not sign any new rice export
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 27, 2020
Malaysia unveils RM250 billion economic stimulus package as COVID-19 cases surge
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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has announced an economic stimulus package worth RM250 billion (US$58 billion) on Friday (Mar 27) to weather the impact of COVID-19. Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said in a televised address that the stimulus package comprises special allowances for healthcare providers, one-off cash aid and microcredit scheme for small- and medium-size enterprises, among others. Advertisement Advertisement
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 27, 2020
COVID-19: PM Lee explains why schools remain open
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SINGAPORE: Children may be at “more risk” of contracting COVID-19 if schools are closed and parents are not at home to take care of their children, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Friday (Mar 27). Speaking to reporters at the Istana, Mr Lee said school was a “controlled environment”, and not all parents can look
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 27, 2020
COVID-19: PAP says will adjust ground outreach activities, as opposition parties put them on hold
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SINGAPORE: The People’s Action Party (PAP) will tweak ground outreach activities to comply with more stringent safety distancing requirements due to COVID-19. “The People’s Action Party will abide by the guidelines that the taskforce has imposed and make adjustments to its usual outreach activities,” a party spokesperson told CNA on Friday (Mar 27). Advertisement Advertisement “This
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 27, 2020
Singapore’s ‘bazooka’ stimulus to cushion COVID-19 pain, but recession still on the cards: Economists
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SINGAPORE: With bigger wage offsets, property tax rebates of up to 100 per cent and more help for badly-hit sectors, Singapore’s newly announced fiscal “bazooka” will help to alleviate the strain that businesses and households are feeling from the COVID-19 outbreak, said economists. But it will not be able to prevent a recession in Singapore,
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 27, 2020
Korean Air chief defeats ‘nut rage’ sister’s challenge
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SEOUL: The “nut rage” heiress who forced a plane to turn back over her macadamias failed Friday (Mar 27) to wrest control of the family airline from her brother, in what analysts said illustrated the power of incumbents at South Korea’s chaebols. Cho Hyun-ah, 45, whose family control the Hanjin group that includes flag-carrier Korean Air,
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 27, 2020
Jail terms, fines for those who breach COVID-19 safe-distancing rules, stay-home notice
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SINGAPORE: Individuals, event organisers and owners of premises who break rules meant to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Singapore could face jail terms and fines under new regulations that came into effect at 11.59pm on Thursday (Mar 26). Those who breach their stay-home notice will also face similar penalties. Advertisement Advertisement The regulations, which come under
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 27, 2020
COVID-19: Hotels in Hong Kong see spike in occupancy rates as thousands return
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HONG KONG: As thousands of Hong Kong citizens and expatriates return to the city, many are seeking refuge in hotels, fearful that cramped apartments in one of the world’s most expensive property markets could put families or flatmates at risk. Social distancing is tough in Hong Kong, where the bulk of the city’s 7.4 million
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 27, 2020
China’s Xi, speaking with Trump, calls on US to improve relations
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BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping told US President Donald Trump during a phone call on Friday (Mar 27) that he hopes the United States will take substantive action to improve bilateral ties, China’s foreign ministry said. Xi also told Trump that cooperation between their countries was the only correct choice and China was willing to support
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 27, 2020
India’s COVID-19 heroes come under attack
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NEW DELHI: They have been hailed as India’s coronavirus “heroes”, but doctors, nurses, delivery drivers and other frontline workers have been attacked and in some cases evicted from their homes by panicked residents. Some e-commerce giants have even halted deliveries partly due to the harassment of staff, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi said abuse of
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 27, 2020
US has most COVID-19 cases in the world
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NEW YORK: The number of US coronavirus infections climbed above 82,000 on Thursday (Mar 26), surpassing the national tallies of China and Italy, as New York, New Orleans and other hot spots faced a surge in hospitalisations and looming shortages of supplies, staff and sick beds. With medical facilities running low on ventilators and protective masks and
Written by Gabriel HerveyMarch 27, 2020
‘Printing money’: Booming mask producers in China meet global demand
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BEIJING: As the coronavirus pandemic that originated in a central Chinese city has gone global, thousands of factories in China have nimbly turned to a new and very profitable market – face masks for export. At the height of China’s outbreak in early February, Guan Xunze’s company created a new mask factory in just eleven
Commentary: Partying and picnicking with friends? Your complacency this COVID-19 outbreak is misplaced
CARLISLE, Pennsylvania: As COVID-19 fans across the globe, some people have been more complacent about the risk of contracting the virus than others. On Mar 21, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo was apoplectic after photographs emerged of New Yorkers congregating in parks, apparently ignoring mandates for social distancing. Advertisement Advertisement “It’s insensitive, it’s arrogant, it’s